Like many in Israel, Rabbi Reuven Taragin, dean of overseas students at Yeshivat HaKotel, did not immediately know the full scope of what had occurred on October 7 until after Yom Tov. He was at shul in Yeshivat HaKotel in the middle of Hallel when he heard a siren sound. As the day progressed, Rabbi Taragin heard that people were killed, perhaps 30 hostages were taken, and men were getting drafted. Only after Yom Tov did he realize that what he had heard throughout the day was, unfortunately, only a fraction of the brutality Hamas had unleashed.

Rabbi Taragin, a Jewish Link contributor, is involved in a number of important initiatives as a result of the war. For example, as dean of overseas students at Yeshivat Hakotel, he is assisting students (as well as their parents) in helping them feel comfortable about being able to stay in yeshiva and in Israel. He is supporting alumni in the army, and their wives, parents and families by, for example, delivering flowers and food to the families on Erev Shabbat.

The rabbi is also the educational director of World Mizrachi, which arranged a worldwide tefillah and chizuk program. The organization is raising funds for Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon’s efforts to purchase supplies for chayalim. The campaign is dedicated to the speedy return of Daniel Perez, the son of World Mizrachi Chairman Rav Doron Perez, who has been missing in action since the start of the war.

To further bring Jews together around the world, Rabbi Taragin has launched the Acheinu Worldwide Jewish Unity Program.

“It wasn’t much more than a week ago that we were a terribly fractured, divisive people,” he explained. “It got to the point in Israel where many Jews felt that they could not sit in the same sukkah with other Jews. This divisiveness [was] not only particular to Israel, but sadly characterize[d] us around the world.

“We have to think about how we are going to come out of this crisis in a better place as a people. There are obviously many wonderful achdut initiatives taking place, most of them on a communal level, on a country level, in one particular language. … But we also need to think about how we bring together Jews from the entire world.”

And this is where the Acheinu Worldwide Jewish Unity initiative comes in.

On the recently created acheinu.world website (https://acheinu.world), one can see flags of over 50 countries, and Acheinu is working with people in each of those countries who are arranging achdut initiatives. This will “give Jews in each location a sense of the broader achdut initiatives taking place around the world, and help Jews in each location connect with a broader achdut initiative and feel like one people,” Rabbi Taragin explained. The site itself is translated into several different languages.

When asked about the stark contrast between now and many decades ago when we were unable to communicate easily with our Jewish brethren during the Holocaust, Rabbi Taragin said: “The fact that it’s easier to come together now is something we need to take advantage of, and one can even suggest that is an opportunity that Hashem is giving us to unify ourselves.”

And as to those in countries in which Jews feel more alone due to rising levels of antisemitism, he noted, “Feeling like we’re one people will give people strength to face things.”

A significant learning opportunity currently being launched by Acheinu is a worldwide siyum. “Together we will iy”H finish Shas Mishnayos tens of times—in 50 countries in 12 languages,” in memory of the victims of the Hamas massacre.

Also on acheinu.world is the Acheinu Worldwide Jewish Unity logo, translated into several languages. Acheinu is recommending that people in different countries use the applicable logo on items such as shirts or bumper stickers, and on banners outside shuls, homes or businesses. This will allow the theme of Acheinu to carry from location to location.

In his dvar Torah on Lech Lecha, Rabbi Taragin said, “Many see the attacks as caused by our lack of achdut,” and that “Hamas has stated that our divisiveness convinced them the time was right to attack.” That is why we must respond with achdut: “Our enemies took advantage of our disunity; our ultimate victory is through our unity.

“I very much hope that through this we’ll be able to come out a stronger people and bring us in the right direction to a unified people that can stand together as one nation.”

For further questions on Acheinu, contact Rabbi Taragin on WhatsApp at 058-470-2471, or any one of the representatives on acheinu.world. To sign up for the worldwide siyum, visit https://acheinu.world/siyum/. To receive updates about all the initiatives, see https://acheinu.world/join-our-whatsapp-groups.